


Leave Sorries for Those Who Need It

by Pathologies



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (IDW Comics), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Gen, also character from the universe comics, but he tries at least tries is the keyword, hob is a shitty dad and he knows it, post tmnt universe 5, sorta - Freeform, they dont have a tag yet, what's up with that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 10:23:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9603872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pathologies/pseuds/Pathologies
Summary: You try walking on both sides and tell me if it doesn't make you feel like a marionette.





	

The one-eyed cat drags himself through the cold. He bundles into himself to repel the Christmas eve cold and expel the aches of his failure. A miserable night. How much worse could it have been if he met those turtles? What if the rest of his team saw him like that? 

It's behind him, like the burnt-out heap and everyone else left for dead. His bitter laugh doesn't have the energy to even leave a noise, only steam. He's plenty on edge when he comes back home, so the arrival of a big shadow in front of him doesn't surprise him. It's who that shape belongs to that does.

“Hi Hob.” No mistaking the gentle reptilian eyes beneath that black sash. 

His smile returns, crackled and genuine and scheming all confounded in one head, “Slash! Big guy!” He fearlessly slugs a harmless paw against that shell, “Knew you could take care of yourself, but somethin' told me you would always come back to Ol' Hob...”

“I didn't come back for you,” the voice could be as tough as the snapping turtle's hands, hands that could crush.

Hob's solitary eye wanders like an eight ball searching for a hole, “You came back for the Mutanimals, right? Cause we're family. We're together, you and me and all of them....and that's more important than any little..differences we had, right?”

Slash's glare solidified like the firm disapproving beak, “Why are you talking to me like I'm a third party you have to win over? Like Stockman...or Hun?”

The cat waved his hands, a defensive gesture, “Hey hey! I actually just got back from fixing that! Hun? He's gone. I fired him. We don't need his services.”

“Fired.”

“Yeah! Now that we took care of that...we can forget this spat and you can come back and fight for the mutant cause, the cause you know is right.”

Slash sighed, “...I can't believe you. You're broke our trust and you're already trying to win me back. I can't talk to you.”

The bigger mutant turned course away from Hob. But the conversation wouldn't end there, not with a stubborn cat who can keep up.

“You know, big guy,” he huffed, demeanor getting angrier, “I just walked out of a burning warehouse from another mutant who disagreed with me, huge, size of a bus. I could have taken him in but I politely refused him after firing Hun. You know why? Because I'm on my way to getting' standards.”

Slash hadn't turned back to notice during the entire conversation.

“Standards, you guys were complainin' I took things too far so I listened! It's costing me a lot, Slash. I could have had two mutants who are bullet proof, but I did it for the Mutanimals! So now you got to listen!”

 

“No Hob. There are many reasons I don't have to, reasons you won't listen to. The only conclusion then is to continue walking.”

The snapping turtle remained constant in his decision. As sore as he felt, Hob refused to stop following the turtle. He did the opposite. True to his nature, Hob began to scale the turtle's topographical back, much to the surprise of Slash, “Hob what are you doing?”

“I'm not getting off til you say that what I did was good and that you forgive me.”

“That's beyond childish.” Slash attempted to shake off the cat. Much to his frustration Hob had found a good foothold to stay in place, “You're not accomplishing anything by doing this.”

“Childish is running away from family,” countered Hob, “Didn't say goodbye to Sally or Mondo Gecko or Pidgeon Pete or Seymour or Man Ray, but you had time to tell that kid Mikey goodbye. That's low.”

“Don't try guilting me,” Slash picked up speed.

“I thought you liked them. But you spend your time spillin' your guts to that bosom buddy, why?”

“Stop,” he growled.

“Because you got some goo-goo eyes or somethin' for him.” Hob grinned.

“You can stop now.”

“He doesn't see you on his level, you know. I mean, it was just like yesterday you were slobbering candy bars out of his hands.”

“No lying.” his voice grew heavier.

“I helped make you into something. That dope only gave you a sash and candy. He'll be just like his daddy, just as dumb and cold...You got a future with us, not--”

“ENOUGH.” Slash was rapidly backing toward a wall. A mutant of his weight? Against a solid concrete wall like that? Not good odds. Hob leaped away right at the moment...before Slash stopped.

His eyes hadn't turned black. There wasn't that frothing caldera of primal anger he could see in the turtle's face in those moments...just Slash.

Hob's brief fear turned into an impressed laugh, his hands drifting over his own head, “I knew you were smart. Real smart...I mean, if you can fool even me...”

“Do you see now?”

Hobs paused a moment, “Yeah, never get on your back. I'm just full of dumb ideas tonight.”

“You can't verbally twist your way into everything, Hob.”

“...we talked so I'm taking it as a win. And you're back so it's a bigger success for me.”

Slash resumed his course, “I'm not talking to you when I get back.”

“Ever?” Hob laughed, watching Slash depart as he caught his breath, “I wanna see how far you can go with that wager.”

Even with such a sharp wit, Slash continued away from Hob. The cat only decided to follow at a distance, his enthusiasm for negotiating drained. The way home wasn't too far, but it felt like a long dizzying labyrinth of alleyways with all this silence he was getting. Hob wouldn't be so disappointed if he hadn't gone through all that effort to undo the damage Slash wedged between him and the other Mutanimals. 

While he let the fatigue slowly take over, he hear a small clink on the ground...something rolled real close. Metallic, small. He knew enough from the sound that it was bad. He turned to run when Slash yanked him with a surprising speed as the boom went off behind them both.

Not an explosion by ordinary means, but...smoke? He knew better to cover up his mouth. The air was thick, carrying a diseased soup quality in the smog. His eye couldn't pick up much, but he could pick up the subtle ruffle of equipment against clothing, the soft padding of footsteps. But most obvious was the smell. Their guest had a real gritty scent, like artillery and gunpowder, all which hid the same sterilized odor he picked up from one familiar place.

“...you must be another escapee like us,” he said, “So tell me, what's it like busting out of that so-called Null place and tasting real freedom?”

“Hob...” Slash said, voice urgent.

He could see it now. The onyx shape coming out of the smoke, eyes that reflected multiple points of light. “The only free mutant is the one before you. All I see are fugitives and lost property.”

Hob scowled, his sales pitch attitude gone, “Might be because it's been a rough night, but I'm not in a hurry to listen to anything you wanted to say about Null or space corporation freedom, so if you're going to kill me do it now.”

“They'll have to try first,” huffed Slash.

“I'm not killing you,” it became abundantly clear the mutant was scorpion in origin as soon as the smoke cleared, “I'm a messenger from Lady Null.”

“What's the message?”

“I am,” she grinned, “I'm what you may consider 'top of the line'. You're unique, but don't take pride in your individuality for long. You can become obsolete.”

“She's filling you with so much brainwash, kid,” Hob sighed, “I rather you killed me than listen to more of it.”

“I was told not to kill you...” her tail, a stinger double her body length, extended beyond her side, “But there are no stipulations against serious injury, up to making you or your friend a vegetable.”

He body met with the sudden violent force of a snapping turtle body slam. With the initial shock Slash pushed her aside. The scorpion was no amateur and compensated with the double push by allowing her tail to drag and slow the momentum. 

With little time, Slash brought Hob under the crook of his arm and started his furious sprint. Hob didn't object this time as the fatigue of his encounter with the line of mutants finally caught up to him. Slash found himself covering a fair amount of ground when the occasion called for it. 

He was no coward, no, but when unknown combatants are involved, it's best to leave until you can form a better understanding. He glanced over his shoulder to see...see...he standing a long distance away. She was watching them, her posture giving away some amusement. It's then she breaks into laughter loud enough to be heard from some distance.

“Your end will come soon,” she taunted, “Just not today.”

With a speed double Slash or even Hob's, she left as though she wasn't there in the first place.

“...so Null's after us again, figures.”

“No,” Slash shook his head, “She must have been acting on her own. But the message is the same...”

“Null's got their eye on us.”

“Striking first is not a safe strategy, not anymore,” Slash said at almost the same time, setting Hob back down.

Hob trailed off before laughing, “You know, it's good to have you back.”

Slash turned his back on the cat, “You're not like Splinter.”

“What, a dad?” he snorted. Slash didn't say anything, though Hob kept his pace with the turtle, “...speaking of, you gonna say anything to that Mikey? Put on the moves? Better do it quick! He could end up someone else's sweet thing.”

The snapping turtle cast Hob a derisive look before lumbering onward back to the Mutanimal hideout. 

“It's Christmas eve, you know.”

“Yeah, I know.”

There wasn't much else to be said.


End file.
